Booze/News Hounds

Not many will be surprised by this.

This is providing a good laugh around the newsroom, but knowing the history of some high profile news people who have had alcohol battles in the past, maybe it's a wake-up call. It's too late to save Bill Bonds, who was an alcohol-fueled maverick on Detroit's local news in the late 80's and 90's, and Bob Hite, someone I looked up to at Tampa's Channel 8 growing up and was popped for as DUI late in his career. But for the rest still in the game and looking to get in, there is a simple element to developing a drinking problem in TV. Andy and I have talked about this and agree-- if you go out and have a beer after a great show, it feels good. If you go out and have a beer to get over a bad show, you feel better. But if you're not careful, pretty soon you're going out for a beer after a good show and a bad show. The high of being on TV can only be matched by drugs and alcohol for some, because it is after all, exciting to do this job and when you've done it well you feel like celebrating a little afterward. So, it's a slippery slope that can be navigated if you save your celebrations for Friday night.

Bye the way, I hope I haven't given you the impression there's a newsroom full of drunks at our place, because there isn't! But we know how to enjoy ourselves if you know what I mean.

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